The hard part starts now, as Tony Blair fully realises, and as this morning's MORI poll for The Times underlines. Yesterday he was elected by a decisive margin and delivered a powerful acceptance speech. But he has not got long to translate the rhetoric of change into action.

The turnout was par for the course, with nearly 70 per cent of party members voting but less than a fifth of levy-paying union members, roughly the same as in internal union elections. Total individual votes of 952,000 were, of course, much higher than in any previous ballot of any party. But before Labour leaders preen themselves too much, they should reflect on the contrast between the party and union sections. The real lesson is not that all ballots are wonderful, but that Mr Blair is right to argue that levy payers need to be turned into individual party members. That is the logical franchise.

Mr Blair's victory was unambiguously clearcut. He won by an overall majority on the first ballot in each of the three sections, predictably so in the case of the MPs and MEPs, but rather more surprisingly so in the case of individual party members. To talk of a mandate is always rather dubious in the case of party leaders. But no one can now challenge Mr Blair's position. He can seek to set the agenda, though John Prescott's strong showing and robust speech yesterday showed that he will not be a quiet deputy out of the limelight. He could easily cause his leader some headaches from time to time.

Mr Blair's speech went down better with believers than with the sceptical. It was his most uplifting conference address to date. The party faithful in the hall were in the mood to cheer, but they were also given something to cheer. However, his more grandiloquent, but empty, Kennedyesque passages about vision, confidence and hope may obscure his blunt underlying message. He pledged to ``wage war in our party against complacency'' and said that Labour had to work and earn the nation's trust by showing how it would succeed in office. There will be no more ``one more heave'' under Mr Blair.

Blair casts himself as EU president candidate

Speaking on French TV, Tony Blair sang the praises of the EU and sketched his agenda for its future, all in fluent French

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Moreover, he sounded the modernisers' themes, rejecting ``state control, central power or sectional interests'', talking of trying to improve the workings of the market and being a committed European.

The magnitude of his task is underlined by the new MORI poll showing that the party's image has deteriorated in a number of key areas over the past five and a half years. Even though Labour's national standing is 12 points higher than when the earlier poll was taken, more people now believe that it would raise taxes than did in February 1989. That just shows how often Gordon Brown has to repeat his theme about Labour not taxing and spending for its own sake. The public is also more sceptical about a Labour Government's ability to keep its promises and improve living standards. About the only two positives are that voters believe Labour would give Britain a strong voice in Europe and it would not be controlled by the unions.

Labour, as Mr Blair warned, has to work to win. The Tories can point to contrasts between his aspirations and existing Labour commitments on Government regulations and public services. But Jeremy Hanley, the new Tory party chairman, is making a mistake in saying Mr Blair is ``all style and no substance''. His substance is not yet proven, but it exists. A real battle of ideas has now begun, not just an exchange of styles and images.

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